The Amazing Spider-man

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“The Amazing Spider-man” is the story of a young boy, Peter Parker. A common household spider that had been exposed to an enormous amount of radiation bites Peter. Hours later Peter gains extraordinary arachnid abilities. He uses these abilities to protect the people of New York City. To hide his true identity, Peter wears a mask. He is known as the vigilante Spider-man or ‘the friendly neighborhood webslinger’1.
Many adaptations of Spider-man have been created over the years. This report will contrast the variations in the original 1962 “Amazing Fantasy” #15 comic of Spider-man and the 2002 film adaptation.
1962 “Amazing Fantasy” Spider-man
Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, the “Amazing Fantasy” issue #15 comic is the original Spider-man text. Spider-man is the first marvel superhero to go against ‘superhero fare’. The ‘superhero fare’ is a superhero trend. Spiderman was the first Marvel character to break this trend. Peter is just an average nerdy high school student who, like everyone else, has insecurities and anxieties. Due to the mask, the public did not know his identity. Spider-man could be anyone giving a sense that he is ‘the superhero who could be you’2. This idea started a comic revolution, which later resulted in comics such as The Incredible Hulk, and X-men3.
An article by Christopher Conway introduces and idea that “The Amazing Spider-man” can be seen as an ‘extension of a conservative view of politics and public life.’ This claim is supported by the view that Spider-man’s heroics are placed at the service of Cold War politics, battling communists and personal gain4. Salvatore Mondello, distinguished writer, believes that “During the late 60’s and early 70’s, Spider-Man had helped to keep alive American lib...

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...riggers Peter’s reflexes and will tingle if there is an incoming threat. Again Peter’s intelligence helps him create ‘spider-tracers’ which help to track foes6. 2002 ‘Spider-man’ film does not identify any ‘spider senses’ rather Peter has enhanced awareness and reflexes. Therefore he can dodge attacks but he cannot detect danger.

Humor
Spiderman’s character is portrayed in the comic as humorous. He will crack jokes at his opponent to throw them off which gives him an advantage. This trait is one that the 2002 “Spider-man” film did not include. This changes how the character is viewed. The comic’s Spider-man makes jokes and is fun, which appeals to younger audiences. The film however shows Spiderman as a serious crime fighter with no sense of humor. He is more focused on keeping the city of New York safe labeling it more of a family movie targeted at older ages.

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